Scientists have discovered a way to unleash a myriad of new property potentials in materials that can be created from simple defects in atomic structures. By observing these defects in nature, they can now study these anomalies and learn to identify the types of unique properties they produce, enabling them, in time, to plan out intentional defect creation to unleash a whole range of new materials with properties we might not even now begin to imagine.
From phys.org
2021-11-30 12:42:43
Excerpt:
An international team led by EPFL scientists, has unveiled a unique quantum-mechanical interaction between electrons and topological defects in layered materials that has only been observed in engineered atomic thin layers. The phenomenon can be reproduced by the native defects of lab grown large crystals, making future investigation of Kondo systems and quantum electronic devices more accessible.
The properties of materials that are technologically interesting often originate from defects on their atomic structure. For example, changing the optical properties of rubies with chrome inclusions has helped develop lasers, while nitrogen-vacancy in diamonds are paving the way for applications such as quantum magnetometers. Even in the metallurgical industry, atomic-scale defects like dislocation enhances the strength of forged steel…..
Working with the Laboratoire National des Champs Magnétiques Intenses in Grenoble and Toulouse, they accessed some of the world’s most powerful magnets. The collaboration performed experiments up to 34 Tesla in static conditions and with pulses up to 70 Tesla for a few milliseconds.
“My first guess was that it is a new type form of Kondo effect, despite the fact that we did not introduces magnetic species in the crystal,” says Konstantin Semeniuk, a scientist who worked on the study.
“Once we completed our investigation, the result was clear,” says Martino. “The atomically thin defects create a sort of magnetic wall in the material that bounces back some of the electrons that try to cross it. Unraveling the source of the Kondo effect has shown that thermodynamics can make big surprises. We believe there is a lot more to discover in this field, better understanding of atomic-scale defects by electronic microscopy, local magnetic measurements, and new quantum simulations to understand the formation and effect of such defects in layered materials.”
